KITCHENER — NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo (Kitchener Centre) has published an open letter to the Premier and the Health Minister urging them to include every frontline worker in the pandemic pay premium, and to make this retroactive to March 11, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.
Lindo is also demanding that Doug Ford explain why essential workers, who were told they would receive this wage top-up, have still not received an extra dollar from the province.
“Each day my office is flooded with calls from workers on the frontline of the pandemic, who are continuing to risk their own health to care for our loved ones and keep essential services running during this crisis,” said Lindo.
Lindo is calling on the Ford government to review the list of front-line workers that are eligible for pandemic pay, and expand their list to include all workers on the front-lines of the pandemic. “Every frontline worker should be included without exception. Doug Ford can’t just pick and choose who deserves it. There are so many residents of Kitchener, including midwives, laboratory workers and physician assistants, who have been left out without any explanation”.
Lindo notes in her letter to Ford and Elliott that workers who were included have still not received the pandemic pay they were promised by Doug Ford back in April.
“It is unforgivable that workers who were promised a pay increase, but yet to see anything extra in their pay packets. There is simply no excuse for this delay. Once again Ford has been all talk, no action during this crisis. These workers have done their part, and more, and deserve to get the pay they were promised months ago,” said Lindo.
“All frontline workers should receive their pandemic pay immediately, retroactive to the very beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.”